


Chag Urim Sameach

by Sweaters (Guhs)



Series: Pale Danvivor [12]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Bittersweet, Chanukah, Family Fluff, Gen, Hanukkah, Holidays, Jewish Holidays, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:54:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guhs/pseuds/Sweaters
Summary: Nate kicks off the first night of Chanukah and broodingly reflects on ghosts of Chanukah past the way only the main character of a self-indulgent fanfiction can.
Relationships: (implied but not the focus), Paladin Danse/Nate (Fallout)
Series: Pale Danvivor [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1290056
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Chag Urim Sameach

The air was temperate with that background hum of low-level, yet still carcinogenic radiation; the wind blew lightly, carrying the low hum of a set of blessings, a foreign language half-sung, half-spoken in a teaching manner.

In Sanctuary, they were on their last set, and people watched from afar as Nathan guided his son’s hand through the steps of lighting the menorah in the window.

“ _Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v'kiy'manu v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh._ ”

The shamash was placed back in its holder, and against the dingy, ever-yellow background of the wasteland shined two bright lights that once represented a miracle but in these days mostly represented hope.

“Are we done?”  
“We’re done, pal. Good job. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, dad! I’m gonna go practice. I want to say it by myself tomorrow.” And off went the excited footsteps of a boy not quite human, but with all the enthusiasm of a regular child. Nathan regularly had to stop himself from worrying about how many of these holidays he would experience without ever physically changing. And so, his attention turned instead to his partner in crime who sat cradling their newest addition.

“What do you think, Danse? You think we can teach the blessings to Caly? Just under a year is a great age to start speaking Hebrew.”  
“Who knows? She may already speak Hebrew.” This spawned a laugh from Nate.  
“Danse, for the last time, she’s not an ageless spy sent to infiltrate us. She can’t even speak complex words yet.”  
“No, I know.” Danse brushed a finger over the baby’s cheek, which triggered a giggle. “But what if she is?”  
“Then I guess our ageless spy is going to be very well-versed in Jewish holidays whenever she finally sends in her report.”

Nathan sighed as he sat down beside the pair, taking in the familiar, yet tingly-new sensation of this moment.

It all started in the basement of an old townhouse outside Boston Common covered in the warm glow of Paladin Danse’s power armor light, where Nathan stood holding a remarkably intact Menorah.

“ _That’s a strange-looking weapon you’ve got there, soldier. Is it a blade of some kind?_ ”

And so sparked the festive flame Nathan had been missing since he woke up in this hellhole.

The candles had been difficult to find; if war was anything besides damaging, it was extremely inconvenient. But they managed. And then they got to try and figure out how holidays were going to fall this year. And then they got to put their lives aside and set up.

As Nate sat there basking in the glow of a post-war Chanukah scene, he briefly flashed back to his home pre-war, the blues and yellows and reds and bright tones. They would’ve had their garland put up, the one his mother Miriam had made for them when they first married; Nora had mostly Irish blood in her which was a point of contention with his family at first, but they grew to love her just as he did, if not more for her differences. There would be latkes, challah, probably brisket, and on the eighth day they would finally roll out his mother’s locally famous sufganiyah for the neighborhood as they had done every year for the duration of his life. The air would be sweet, salty, oily, and full of music. Gelt would be strung about the house as everyone picked up and put down games of dreidel between conversation.

The warm blanket of nostalgia fell away at the signal of a distant explosion, and so too did the comforting smell of sweets and recipes long lost. There was only the constant, low burning smell of the wasteland, the dim, dingy light, and the sounds of a war that never ended.

A hand lightly grasped Nate’s shoulder; Danse was standing, using his fellow soldier as a support to avoid completely toppling the baby in his arms.

“She’s out. I’m going to go put her down.” A pause. “Happy Chanukah, Nate. I’m glad you have a reminder of before.”

The light of the menorah flickered wildly in the wind gust but refused to go out. Thinking about it now, maybe this was exactly what this holiday was meant to represent. Acknowledging the past through games, traditions, and blessings was all well and good when you didn’t have a gauge of near-tragedy yourself. But here he was, a man out of time, many centuries beyond the Maccabean triumph, celebrating that very event in a world ravaged by, yet somehow surviving past nuclear war. It was a reminder of _before_ , but a symbol of hope for _after_.

Maybe they could make a good go of this yet.

_Y'hi ratzon milfanekha Adonay eloheynu v'elohey avoteynu v'imoteynu shetvatel milkhamot u'sh'fikhut damim min ha'olam v'tamshikh shalom gadol v'nifla ba'olam v'lo yisa goy el goy kherev v'lo yilm'du od milkhamah ..._

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, alright, alright. I know Chanukah is almost over BUT I MADE IT! This month's been crazy and I work in a place where Christmas is a MASSIVE undertaking and I was working open to close shifts for a week straight. But I made it, suck my ass corporate America.
> 
> This is kind of weird! Combining Judaism and an apocalyptic video game?? Hello fellow children, it is me, your Rabbi. Bet you never thought it'd come from me, lmao.
> 
> Anyway, this is kind of out of left field but I was feeling really nostalgic this year and decided I wanted to try and kind of put that and my love for this damn game together in this really short little one-hitter. The conversation is a little nil and it's really expositiony but y'know what, it's fine. It's not too much trashier than my usual quality of work and it does bring a lil bit of representation to something that is kind of passed over outside of Jewish communities. My creative spark is just gone rn but I wanted to do something to commemorate. Sue me, eh?
> 
> So on that note, Happy Chanukah, Merry (late) Christmas to those who might celebrate it, and happy holidays to those who celebrate neither. :) I hope the season has been kind to everyone and that y'all ate hella good food and avoided too much of the winter family drama.


End file.
